Holiday on Leros, a Greek island

Leros is a small Greek island north of Kos with ca. 8,500 friendly inhabitants.

Tourists are few, and if you are looking for relaxed peace and true Greek atmosphere, Leros is the perfect choice with its beaches and nice villages.

We spent a week there in September 2008, and on these pages you can read about Leros and what we experienced.

Unspoiled Leros

Leros is unspoiled. I know it sounds like a phrase from colourful travel magazines, but it is actually true.

There are few tourists compared to many other Greek islands, and there are no tourist ghettos or streets with bars, souvenir shops and junk.

No, you live among the locals and experience daily life that isn't focused on tourism.

Many travellers look for the unspoiled and some find it, but you can never be on your own, and gradually the place changes and looses its virginity. That is inevitable. By writing this I contribute to that process, but in the end it makes no difference what I do. I just hope that future guests will respect the island and its culture.

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Compared to other Greek islands Leros depends less on tourism. Quite a few people still live from agriculture and fishing, and the big psychiatric hospital offers employment.

Over the years the hospital has treated patients from all over Greece, and years back conditions were horrific. This is not the case anymore, but the clinic gave Leros a bad reputation in Greece. The island was best ignored and not mentioned.

So despite Leros having a lot to offer, tourists have yet to really discover the island. It is easy to navigate the fairly small island. There are many nice beaches, cosy villages and towns.

In our Leros trip report you can read about our stay in September 2008: an island roundtrip, a homosexual haircut, idyllic Panteli and more.